THE DYNAMICS OF LOCAL AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE AND SUSTAINABILITY: A CASE STUDY OF A PA-O COMMUNITY IN SHAN STATE, BURMA

Abstract

The Pa-O, the seventh largest ethnic group in Burma, engage primarily in agriculture, having practiced traditional farming methods for generations. However, in the past few decades, they have started adopting new knowledge from industrial agriculture. This is their strategy to sustain their livelihood endangered by the decreasing amount of land in ratio to the increasing population. This strategy, however, has not proved to be feasible as Pa-O farmers have to rely on input-intensive farming methods leading to more expenses and less income. This has resulted in heavy debt among farmers, out-migration of the young Pa-O, and intensifying environmental issues. Drawing upon the in-depth interviews with Pa-O farmers, NGO workers and agricultural experts in Southern Shan Region, this thesis examines the dynamics of change in local agricultural knowledge of the Pa-O and its impact on their livelihood sustainability. This thesis argues that the integration of new knowledge from industrial agriculture cannot bring about sustainability because this new knowledge cannot solve the issues of population and land scarcity. This analysis enables us to understand the process of change in local agricultural knowledge of the Pa-O and challenges imposed on the sustainability of their livelihood.